Mechanical Animals
by FireBugJL
Summary: X-23 has escaped from Trask and joined the X-men. But what will happen when an old enemy from her past comes back for revenge...And what if that enemy was named Rogue? AU, Romy or Rietro.
1. Jessica

**Title** – Mechanical Animals  
  
**Author** – Zombie Pants  
  
**Disclaimer** – If I owned it, you'd know.  
  
**Summary** – AU. X-23 has escaped from Trask and joined the X-men. But what will happen when an old enemy from her past comes back for revenge…What if that enemy was named Rogue? AU, Romy or Rietro.

* * *

**_Chapter 1, Part 1_ – The Speed of Pain**

****

* * *

Jessica Howlett sat down gracefully on the sloping rooftop of the Xavier Institute for the Gifted. Her long brown hair gracefully blew around her cherubic face in the wind; her sharp blue eyes closing in delight. She had never been happier in her life. After everything she had gone through as a child, this was her heaven, this was her home now, these people were her family—and she couldn't have wished for more. When she had first arrived at the institute—she hadn't come there looking for any of those things; in fact, she was hell bent on revenge. Wolverine, The man who she's been cloned after, was her target, and she would have done anything to kill him. She even took down the mighty X-men to get to him, risking her life in the process.   
  
But the difference back then was that she didn't care if she lived or died. Now that she was free, she couldn't comprehend why she had ever wished to die when there was so much beauty in the world…so much she had left to discover…  
  
Today was a different story. It had been three months since that horrible night, and she had plenty of support to finally allow her wounds of the past to close. She was a new woman, with a new name, and a new life. No longer was she the clone X-23; no longer was she an animal meant to be tested and experimented on. She had a real name now, and was treated with respect and love from her new friends.   
  
_Hell_…she even considered Logan a father figure now…the man she'd been plotting to murder!  
  
Xavier had used his telepathy to heal her mental scars and open up a door to living a real life among his students—who all welcomed her with open arms. He'd even given her a new name to keep as her own so she would no longer be considered an objected instead of a person. She had gone with an open heart into the world, and with her past no longer holding her down, was learning more and more about living virtuously every passing day.   
  
Laughing gently, she watched from her perch as Jamie ran from Scott—who was covered in soap suds and soaking wet; no doubt Jamie's handy work. Ray, Bobby, Jubilee, and Amara were hiding behind the giant oak, playing poker while keeping an eye out for any of the adults who would stop their game. Kurt was trying to woo Kitty by porting around gathering flowers and showering them down on her as she tried to leave with Jean to the mall, who was giggling the whole way while yelling at him to stop.  
  
She was especially good friends with Jean. Since they were the same age, 18, and both girls, it was easier for them to connect. When Jean had asked if she wanted to share a room with the red-headed telepath, she had almost cried with happiness. Ever since then they had been almost inseparable…except when it came to shopping…She was still nervous when it came to large crowds of normal people, so she left the Jean to shop with Kitty.  
  
Flopping backwards onto the shingles, she listened to the sounds of trees, the water as it spouted gracefully from the fountain to the pool below, and the students as they ran around the yard shouting happily…wait…where were the noises of the students?! There should have been talking and laughter, but her ears could only pick up silence…  
  
When she sat up she immediately saw what had caused the abrupt lack of noise. Through the gates and down the walkway came Magneto, flanked by his Acolytes—Gambit and Pyro on his right, Colossus on his left. She rolled her eyes in frustration.  
  
Only a week after she had arrived, Magneto had come along to try and make an agreement with Xavier. Some new mutant had arisen—he said is personal telepath had picked up on the new mutant—that was so dangerous that not even his acolytes could defeat it. So he wanted to temporarily call a truce between the X-men and his group; just in case they ever had to fight the new mutant.  
  
Now-a-days it was a regular occurrence to see the man in red and his goonies at the institute, but she knew the x-kids would never get used to it. There were still high emotions between the acolytes and x-men, and some grudges that would never be resolved. She still hoped the tension would lessen given more time…because there was no way anyone would ever accept her going out with an acolyte…especially Remy…  
  
Quickly she sniffed the air for traces of Logan's scent, lest he see her flirt with anyone, and jumped off the building when she couldn't smell him near. She landed directly in front of Gambit and flashed him a happy smile when he recognized her.  
  
"Mus' be Remy's birthday, if _de toute beauté femmes_ are fallin' out of de sky at him…_non_?" The devil eyed Cajun smirked sexily at her with a wink.  
  
"Hmm…If you keep talking like that, then maybe it will be your birthday." She purred at him, winking in return. Flirting with Remy was one of her favorite pastimes, but only if Logan wasn't around to find out. He'd kill the Cajun boy if he ever knew.  
  
"Ahem…" Magneto cleared his throat, directing his notorious glare in their direction. "We have no time for such childish things. If you two insist upon acting in such a manner, do so on your own time. Right now we are on **_MY_** time, so get a move on!" With that said, he floated into the institute, not even bothering to look back to see if he had been listened to.  
  
"Remy talk to you later _belle_." He whispered in her ear. With a quick kiss to her cheek, he turned heel and followed after his boss into the building.   
  
Suddenly, a foreboding feeling flooded her petit body, causing a small tremor to run down her spine. Jumping back onto the roof, she silently waited for Remy to return outside while keeping an eye out for anything odd. She knew her senses were telling her something bad was coming…but all she could do was wait…and pray it wasn't who she thought it was…

* * *

**__**

**_Chapter 1, P_****_art 2_ – The Minute of Decay**

****

* * *

There wasn't a cloud in sight that night.   
  
The fireflies buzzed contently around the cool grass, shining their soft lights as if mirroring the starry sky above.  
  
It was the perfect night…for a barbeque…  
  
The tables had been set, the burgers had been grilled, and the students had eaten to their fill. They were in such high spirits; they even let the acolytes join them in their merriment, ignoring for the time being that they were still enemies—even if they were on a truce. Pure harmony floated from the bodies of the students into the atmosphere, creating the perfect moment…to be _destroyed.  
_  
All the professors, including Magneto, had offered to clean up the mess while the students scattered around the lawn to stargaze and relax. Jessica almost instantaneously grabbled onto Remy's hand and dragged him off to a secluded spot beneath the willow tree. After they had both lay down, she snuggled into his side and twined her fingers with his.  
  
"You migh' wanna be careful _fille_. A man like Remy coul' get use't dis." He sighed contently as he began to stroke her hair. In all reality, he didn't know how much he really liked her, but he did know that she felt damn good in his arms and that she was a wonderful person.  
  
"Hmm." She hummed contently. "I think I'm already used to it."  
  
Remy swiftly stood up, knocking Jess off of his chest and onto the ground. Before she could even protest he had started striding across the lawn towards the front gates. Jessica followed after him; now alert that something was amiss. Using her ultra night-vision sight, she saw the thing she had been dreading for three months. **_Shit!_** She screamed at herself. How could she have let her guard down for so long? She'd been stupid enough to let the other in past her keen senses.   
  
Not ten seconds had gone by before the whole x-men team had assimilated in a u-shape around the gate, all dressed in their fighting gear. The acolytes were just as ready for the fight, each had their eyes trained on the dark figure crouched on the wall next to the gate. But this was not their fight, and she knew it. This was something she had to handle, it was her past coming back to haunt her.  
  
Turning her head, Jessica locked eyes with Xavier and sent him a message. While healing her mind, he had stumbled across the memory that she had been trying to hide. She had assumed that he would kick her out of the institute and brand her a killer to anyone who would listen; instead he explained to her that she could repent for her mistake and make up for her murdering past by saving people in her present.  
  
"X-men," Charles addressed them loudly, "Stand down." His order earned him many queer stares and grunts of disbelief, but nonetheless they all complied and backed up.  
  
Jessica marched forward so that the x-men and acolytes were behind her and turned to address the intruder…  
  
"It's nice to see you again, X-34." She heard a few gasps, but ignored them as she awaited an answer.  
  
X-34 stood up strait, making the most intimidating figure with the forest backdrop behind her. Ragged, blood-soaked hair fell around the persons face, cascading down to their knees—the only distinguishing feature was two white strips of hair in the front. A ragged and torn body suit covered the panting figure along with a pair of dirty gloves and army boots that went mid-calf. But Jessica refused to back down and cower away like some simpering idiot; she would stand and fight.  
  
"Have you come all this way with nothing to say to me?" She half-taunted at the other girl, trying her best to get a reaction so she could gauge 34's mental state.   
  
Disturbingly slow, the standing figure slowly raised their head to reveal a pair of insane, bloodthirsty emerald eyes.   
  
Chapped and bleeding lips slowing emitted five heart stopping words…  
  
"Your death is mine 23."

* * *

****

**End Chapter**

****

* * *

__

_De toute beauté femmes_=**beautiful women**  
  
_Non_=**like saying a rhetorical 'no?'**   
  
_Belle_=**Beautiful**

_Fille_=**Girl**

****  
  
X-23=Logan's clone  
  
X-34=Rogue herself Get it? Just making sure. 


	2. Rogue

Title – Mechanical Animals

Author – Zombie Pants

Disclaimer – If I owned it, you'd know.

Summary – AU. X-23 has escaped from Trask and joined the X-men. But what will happen when an old enemy from her past comes back for revenge…What if that enemy was named Rogue? AU, Romy or Rietro.

* * *

****

**_Chapter 2, Part 1_**** – The City of ****Sodom**

* * *

****

When their regular training simulation was never called, she began to suspect something was wrong.

Trask never allowed them to miss combat practice. He acted as if the sun wouldn't shine in the sky if he ever veered of his anal schedule of daily events—not that she actually remembered what the sun looked like—or the moon for that matter…it had been so long since she'd stepped outside her prison, also known as the mutant research facility. When X-45, the mutant girl she trained with, had first arrived, she'd automatically called the facility Sodom…In six long years of knowing 45; she'd never asked the girl what it meant…

God…had she really been there _that_ long? Six years…She'd never really stopped to think about it…After all, today was the only real time in years she'd been given to stop and think.

Six years of constant experimentations on her body, shaping her like a mound of lifeless clay into the creature she was now. Seventy-two months of endless training in the battle simulator, homing her skills to defeat an unknown foe. Two thousand-one hundred-and ninety days and never once did she get the day off—not a single god damned day in all that time was she allowed to _rest._

Her program had never strayed in the long years since her arrival. Two weeks of training, next two of biological experimentation, and one week joint training with either X-45 or X-23. Constant repetition; it never changed—ever.

So the thought of Trask letting them relax for the day gnawed at her mind insistently—but now that she thought back on it, there was something even stranger than that—for what seemed like weeks, she hadn't joint trained with X-23…it was always 45 now…and she knew for a fact Trask liked having her fight 23 more often; he didn't seem to like 23 very much, and liked the idea of watching her be defeated.

X-23 was three inches shorter than her, standing at about 5ft 2inches, which was an advantage. Also 23 had only two claws, while she had three, the two on the side being three inches shorter than the one in the middle, which was seven inches long. If they were going on strength alone, 23 and she might have been evenly matched, but that wasn't the case. She was a far better fighter than 23, and her ability to tap into her physical strength was an unimaginable help. All in all, she was always able to wipe the floors with the other girl, not even needing to use her absorption powers.

She didn't like this—this—this time for contemplation. Without 45 in her lock-chamber to talk to, she had far too much time to remember things she didn't want to. And the memory that wanted to emerge was her least favorite one of all…the day she was taken from her home to become the captive she was now.

Mentally, she sneered at the thought of her abduction from her home in Caldecott.

No matter how long they days, no matter how much she tried to put as much distance between her mind and her emotions, her memories always seemed to be popping up at the wrong moments…especially the memory of _that_ day…

_The day had been a sunny one; the kind that would always guarantee whole neighborhoods coming outside to enjoy the warmth. The kids would play games in the front yard while the adults would chat politely with the neighbors over tall, cool glasses of iced tea. Not a single care passed through the minds of the residents of Caldecott, mostly because none of them knew they had two mutants living just houses away. _

_She had been one very lonely twelve-year-old at the time. Ever since she had turned six, Irene, her surrogate mother, had made her dress in covering clothing and told her not to go near the other children. The blind woman explained that she had a skin disorder that was very dangerous to others. So she had lived in solitude with the older woman for years and years, never even bothering to ask to play with the other children._

_Then everything changed that one sunny day._

_She had been sleeping peacefully when the first of many footsteps rang through her home, waking her in a fright. All she could recall was clutching her rag-doll Reyna in her hands as she stood at the top of the stairwell, watching as men in funny outfits and masks streamed into her home. _

_The way the men moved reminded her of wolves, like the ones she had seen on they telly chasing after a mama deer and her baby. They had chased their prey into a small clearing, with the mama standing in front of her foe, her colt behind her protectively. Black as the night, the wolves inched closer and closer to the doe, snapping their jaws as they went…_

_…then the mother deer screamed as they tore her apart…_

_…then the sound slowly morphed into Irene screaming…_

_…bloodcurdling..._

_…run child…run away…_

_…So she did…_

_Just like the baby deer had run away as the wolves murdered the doe, she ran away as fast as her little legs could carry her—through the thick forest, over the creek, down the horse path that lead to the main road. Her feet bled so badly that she thought with out a doubt that she was hemorrhaging to death. _

_Thistles and twigs were stuck in-between her toes, but still she carried on._

_Her back and legs burned with the intensity of a thousand raging fires, but still she carried on._

_Every breath she took squeezed at her chest as hope left her body, but still she carried on._

_The wolves were coming._

But it was not to be; that poor attempt at an escape. Within the hour the men had caught up to her tiny body and subdued her with tranquilizer darts. Even today she could still feel the vestiges of pain caused by those teeny needles piercing the skin of her childish body. The doctors didn't waste any time putting the control collar around her tender neck, making sure she would never voluntarily use her powers again.

The year after her kidnapping went by in a flash of pain. The experiments, the training, and the collar all added up to the death of hope. She knew she would never again be free. In a place such as the one she was locked away in, there was no choice but to allow your mind to detach itself from its body. If that didn't happen…there was no chance of survival.

Some of the nicer doctors—if you could call the people who treat you like an animal nice—gave her a nickname, Glain. Somewhere among her memories she dredged up the definition…Jewel. The only reason they called her that was because of her ability to absorb any mutant power and retain it in her body. That meant they didn't have to keep the mutants they kidnapped. They only had to have her touch the mutants and then experiment even more on her body with the newly acquired powers.

She thought she would always be alone since there was no need to keep any mutants at the base for more than a day. Not that she would wish her captivity on anyone else…it was just the _human_ part of her reaching out, needing someone to connect with. Yeah, there was a human part of her, not that the doctors would ever agree to that—they all thought she was their dog—but deep inside she knew it wasn't true. She was a human…mostly…

Then one day they brought in 45.

The girl seemed to be 13, just like her. But she hadn't let herself dwell on the fact she would never get to know the other girl better—at least on a personal level—she was going to steal the girl's powers and memories, after all. Soon enough, she would be forced to touch the other girl, and then they would take her away and she would be alone again…Cold and desolate in her square room…

So when the doctors forced her to lay her bare palm on the other girl's face, she was vastly surprised when their powers collided and negated each other out.

There had been flickering lights, popping noises, and the nothing. The two girls had just stared into each other's eyes in amazement. Noting like that had ever happened before… So the doctors, naturally, freaked out. Not long after more testing and probing, the scientists concluded that 45 was the only mutant in the world she couldn't absorb—they said something about protons and negative charges—but she didn't care about that. The only thing that mattered from that day forth was that she wasn't completely alone anymore; she had 45 for company, and a friend.

Five more years went by.

45 and she became sisters, forming an unbreakable bond that went deep into their souls. They had similar childhoods, and shared their captivity angst with each other. It was what she had always wanted…45 was the family she had craved for so long in her isolation…

Sighing to herself, she thought about a question…a question that had plagued her dreams for years…it had been the first night 45 was allowed to sleep in the lock-chamber, and the other girl had asked a seemingly innocent question…

_"What's your name?"_

_"X-34"_

_Silence…_

_"That's not a name."_

_"It is tha name Ah was given when Ah first arrived here. Ah know of no otha name belonging to may." _

_"What about the name your parents gave you."_

_Silence…_

_"Ah…don't have any parents."_

_"Oh…can I give you a name?"_

_…"Mah name is X-34…"_

_Soft breathing_

_"I'll call you Rogue…Since you look like such a rebel with those white streaks in your hair"_

_Two tentative smiles _

That had begun their bonding. The next incident was when 45 had crawled into her bunk after an excruciating round of experiments. She was so shocked to have the smaller girl clinging to her; she forgot to get angry and just held onto the sobbing girl…

Such small tokens of affection became an every day thing between them. A soft hug here, a gentle holding hands there, it was paradise to have what she had dreamed of for so long…Her heart was barren and torn when her only friend was gone, and her memories of their time together never served to make the stark dejection fade. She knew that the only reason the doctors let 45 stay in the same room as her—the other girl was the only reason she never tried to escape…she would never leave her friend behind…

Through the observation window in her cell, she watched the lab-coat-clad people walk by with clipboards in their hands and waited. It had been weeks since she'd seen her sister in captivity, and couldn't wait to see 45 again. Unfortunately for her, when the door to the room did open, only Dr. Kat came in.

"How are you today 34?" The doctor inquired gently, her tone slightly shaken.

"Hn" She responded, unwilling to talk. It wasn't an abnormal thing for her not to answer the doctors; in fact, many had come to expect her silence. They all knew she only conversed openly with X-45.

Moving a small chair that had been in the corner in front of her, the doctor took a seat and began talking again in a trembling tone. "34…There is something I have to tell you that will most likely…displease you…So I want you to promise me you wont do anything rash."

She raised her eyebrow slightly at the older woman in question. The other woman's demeanor was disturbing to say the least. Normally, she was a strong willed, strait backed, no-nonsense type of person. In all the years of knowing the doctor, never once had she heard her tone waver, or seen the woman this shaken. There was something very, very wrong with the picture.

"Well," Kat began, "You know all about mutant-X and his…constant rivalry with our organization?" She nodded yes at this. "We decided years ago to create a powerful chemical that would be able to kill him. We designed it so the poison would block any latent healing abilities, since his body can almost recuperate from anything, just like yours…So if we could somehow inject it into him, then injure him, he would not be able to heal himself, and would thus die from his wounds…

But something's gone terribly wrong. A careless guard in sector 4-C mentioned the chemical around X-23…and she somehow managed to sneak a syringe of it into her training session."

What? She couldn't understand what the doctor was getting at....so the hell what if the stupid bitch stole a sample from them, it wasn't her problem. How about they let the guards do their job and get it back!?

Kat ignored the incredulous look on the teens face and continued. "The training session…was with X-45…23 used it to distract the guards…by injecting into 45's blood stream..."

"What!" she screamed in terror. "Is she ok? Did she get hurt badly? Where is she? Can Ah go see her now?"

Clearing her throat, Kat got to the worst part. "The wounds inflicted into 45's body were lethal, and with the poison blocking her healing abilities…I'm sorry 34…she didn't make it…"

Time stood still…The doctor stared at her…waiting for a response…

Two agony filled emerald eyes stared blankly at the female doctor…"What does Sodom mean?" she asked emotionlessly.

"Uhh…" Kat stared at her nervously. "It was a city of ancient Palestine…In the Bible, it says it was destroyed along with Gomorrah because of its wickedness and depravity." The doctor finished her thorough explanation with a slight frown of confusion.

She wouldn't believe it…Sodom…

The facility…

No…

No…

"No…" She spoke aloud in a horse whisper. "No no no no no no no no!" Gripping her head in both hands, she began to shake.

45

_Dead_

Irene

_Dead_

Everyone

_Dead_

"…Security…" Kat's frantic voice cut through the cloud surrounding her mind.

Kat

_Dead_

Before she knew what happened, she found herself in a red haze, stalking through the hallways with blood on her claws and clothes. Sirens blared in her ears as she used her advanced senses to pick up the scent of terror and gunpowder, to hear the sounds of boots coming closer to her.

Security

_Dead_

More blood flew from her hands onto the walls surrounding her. She could feel the buzz of her collar as the scientists tried frantically to control her.

Scientists

_Dead_

A stained red control key dangled from her fingers on its chain. With a press of a button, her control collar unhooked and fell to the ground with an obscene clatter.

Sodom

_Dead_

She calmly walked away from the burning facility once known as Sodom, her footprints in the snow the only evidence left of her existence.

X-34

_Rogue_

X-23

_DEAD_

* * *

**_Chapter 2, Part 2_****- Suicide Snowman**

* * *

Biting…

Stinging…

Freezing…

The snowy grounds of the Canadian wilderness fought long and hard to try and halt her progress. But she wouldn't allow her body to stop; not even for a night. She was willing to trudge her was across the landscape, snow or not, until she got her revenge. The animal she had been repressing in her heart—the one the doctors had been trying to keep at bay with drugs and control collars—had found its outlet…its calling…

Blood soaked retribution…

With every beat of her hear, white hot agony shot through her heart, compelling her to keep moving. To never cease her tireless journey into the cusp of hatred. She had a new mission in life…

Never again would she permit anyone to trample over her like a beaten dog waiting to be punished for pissing on the carpet…

Never again would she be the victim taking anything shoved their way…

Never again would she be the deer…

Never the prey again…

She was the predator…

She was the wolf…

Pausing briefly, she stuck her delicate nose into the frosty air and checked to see if she was still on the right path towards her prey. She let loose a happy, full toothed smile when she found X-23's scent…it was like finding a pile of shit in a haystack…Her boots crunched through the ice as she continued on her way.

The wilderness she was surrounded by seemed more like a home than the facility or even Irene's ever had. Here she could act like what the world thought her to be—a creature of unholy proportions. If she got hungry, she could kill a rabbit and devour it whole, skin and all. She could scream like a banshee, jump around like a child, or even shed all of her clothing, and no one would criticize her or judge her for being different.

This was what life was mean to be…this was…

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off as she sensed danger all around. From every well tuned-sense, she could hear, taste, smell, and see slight movement in the trees around her. Growling roughly, she crouched down in to a defensive position and watched as three wolves appeared in front of her, two behind her, and one more on either side.

The wolf before her to the left stepped forward first; showing him to be the alpha male of the group. But she wasn't going to let them get the best of her, not this time. She wasn't 12 anymore, and Irene wasn't here to be their victim…

With a barely audible =shing= she deployed her claws and surged forward. Warm, copper smelling blood oozed around her knuckles as she buried her claws in the alpha male's stomach, tearing her arms upwards right after. She didn't even bother to look back to see his dead body as she took to the other two wolves who were lunging at her thighs and neck. She just slapped them away as if they were merely flies, and listened with satisfaction as their bones snapped when the hit the trees around them with disgusting thumps. Taking care of the other fives wolves took less than three minutes, since three of them turned tail and ran after she had killed the alpha.

It was becoming a trend, she mused, for her to be completely surrounded by death and blood. They always came hand in hand…you couldn't have one without the other when she was involved…

_Death **45**___

_Blood **Her**_**_ hands_**__

_Death **Kat**___

_Blood **Her**_**_ face_**__

_Death _**_Sodom_**__

_Blood **The**_**_ walls_**__

****

****

_Death **Her**_**_ heart_**__

She threw back her head, and with a mighty breath screamed with all of her soul… for the loss of the ones she had killed…for the loss of the ones who had left her…and for the loss of her heart and the humanity it had once held…

She was

**_den_****_ en vem vilja leda oss till paradis med blod fläckat handen_**

_(the one who will lead us to paradise with blood stained hands)_

* * *

**_Chapter 2, Part 3-_**** Wrapped in Plastic**

* * *

****

The air in New York was nothing like Canadian air. It was full of toxins and the filth of people. She wanted to plug her nose and never sniff the putrid odors of children and hotdog stands again, but she had to keep on the scent of X-23. If she lost her way now; she would surely lose it forever.

Luckily for her, she never had to smell the foul looking humans up close, for they took one look at her bedraggled appearance and turned away. That was the main reason she didn't stop briefly to clean up…if her unkempt hair and clothes could part whole groups of people and make it easier for her to get around the city—she would never bathe again.

Sometime during her traversing of the city, she had made her way onto a dirt road that was permeated with the scent of 23, so she knew she was close. She could almost feel the heartbeat of the other girl in her cheeks…taste the salty sweat of her murdering fingertips…

Before her very own eyes a huge building emerged from over the hill she was climbing. The clear sky of night shown it's starlight down on the enormous front lawn of the building, illuminating countless figures as they reclined in the grass. Among those people, somewhere was x-34, and she knew it. For some reason that escaped her, the owner and occupants of the building had taken in the clone and given her refuge…and for that reason alone were now targets also.

Her swift feet made fast work of closing the distance between the hill and gates of the building; and it took even less effort for her to leap gracefully onto the brick wall that kept her away from her prey.

All the figures on the lawn took notice of her quickly. She paid no notice to them as they formed a defensive U shape in front of her—the only thing she made a note of was they way they were dressed and how their body languages screamed 'trained fighters.' But she was hardly impressed; after all, she was far more advanced a combatant than any of them could ever be…The thing that concerned her most was the scent of X-23, and how it was drawing closer and closer.

Soon enough, the girl of the hour was standing erect and proud before her.

"It's nice to see you again, X-34." The all too familiar voice made her heart beat faster in anticipation…and malice…

She gradually stood up from her crouched perch on the wall. The stereo gasps that filled the air went over her head and only helped to make her blood boil.

"Have you come all this way with nothing to say to me?" Tauntingly, X-23 put her hands on her hips in mock irritation, enraging her to a point of blindness.

_45, you will have your life again…Through the death of your killer…_

Breathing in deeply, she used her voice for the first time in months.

"Your death is mine 23."

* * *

**_END Chapter_**

* * *

****

****

****

Ok, that was fun…I think….

Here's how the X's break down…

X=Logan…he was called mutant X

X23=Logan's clone girl…you know, the one who attacked the x-men for revenge on Logan?

X45=A mutant girl taken by Trask and killed by X23…she was X34's best friend…

X34=Rogue, who was taken by Trask also…X45 was her best friend.

And there you have it!

I thought everyone might want to know why I named x-23 Jessica Howlett in my first chapter…well I like the name Jessica, it's normal and easy to remember…and in the comics, Wolverine's real name was James Howlett. So I thought if Xavier 'gave' her the last name, it would help show that he always knows more than he lets on…

Third chapter is almost done…

R&R


End file.
